Store-service apparatus.



J. P. NAGE.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-.12, 1910.

980,325, Patented Jan. 3,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES: g7 A 0 INVENTOR.

J #2 ATTORNEY.

in: :vqnms rzrnu co., wunummu, b c.

J! PI STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 12, 1910.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 WITNESSES W 1 INVENTOR. 77m

Wu! NORRIS rlrnu cu... WASIIINGION, n. c.

JOHN P. NAGE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application filed March 12, 1910. Serial No. 548,881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. NACE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-ServiceApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in store service apparatus of thetype in which the track and basket are elevated by a rope attached tothe track and carried around pulleys located above the track.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficientmechanism for taking up the slack of the lifting rope when the track iselevated.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrative of my invention, Figure 1 is aside elevation of an a paratus provided with the preferred form 0 myinvention, the track being shown in the lowered position with the runnersupporting the slack end of the rope disengaged from the clampingmechanism. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 excepting that the trackis shown in the elevated position with the runner engaged by theclamping mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the dotted line abof Fig. 4.. Fig. 4: is an enlarged elevation of the pulley block andclamping mechanism, some of the parts being broken away and the runnerbeing shown engaged by the clamping mechanism. Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 aredifferent modifications of the clamping mechanism. Fig. 9 is anelevation of the preferred form of runner and swivel connection. Fig. 10is a top view of what is shown in Fig. 9. Fi 11 is a side elevation of apart of the lifting rope with one of the buttons secured thereto. Fig.12 is a detail showing how the clamping wires of the modification shownin Fig. 8 may be secured to the pulley block.

Similar reference characters denote similar parts.

1 denotes an ordinary wire track secured to a liftin frame 2 carrying alifting pulley 3 and having guide pulleys 1 which traverse a verticalhanger 5. Secured to the hanger 5 above the track 1 is a pulley block 6provided with pulleys 7 over which passes a track lifting rope 8 securedat one end to a short arm 9 pivoted to the end of the track 1, the ropepassin also around a pulley 10 carried by the lifting frame 2.

11 denotes the basket adapted to travel upon the track 1 and rope 8.

As will be well understood, with apparatus of. this character, when therope 8 is pulled, the lifting frame 2 and one end of the track 1 will beelevated, so that the hasket 11 will run toward the opposite end of thetrack, suitable means, not shown, being provided by which the liftingframe 2 and adjacent end of the track 1 may be retained in and releasedfrom the elevated position. forms no part of my invention and may be ofany Well known construction.

In the preferred form of my invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, thepulley block 6 has secured to it two vertical plates 12 and 13 disposedat opposite sides of the rope 8 This portion of the mechanism.

and having secured to and between them two horizontal rods 14 and 15disposed preferably at opposite sides of the rope 8.

Two parallel curved wires 16 are disposed at opposite sides of the rope8 and have the r ends secured to the rods 14: and 15. Said wires 16 arepreferably resilient and form spring arms adapted to be forced apart bya runner 17, preferably of ring form, slidably mounted on the rope 8intermediate of the track 1 and pulley block 6 which forms the supportfor the rope S. The runner 17 is preferably provided with a peripheralgroove 18 into which the wires 16 are adapted to enter for releasablyholding the runner in the elevated position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4:.

The runner 17 is secured to the slack end of the rope 8 which ispreferably provided with a swivel connection with the runner 17 forpreventing twisting of the rope. This swivel connection comprisespreferably a screw eye 19 secured in the end of the rope 8, said screweye having engagement with another eye 20 having a vertical stem pivotedin a U shaped member 21, the vertical arms of which are preferablypivoted by a horizontal pivot 22 to a depending arm 23 at the lower endof the runner 17.

Means are provided at opposite ends of the runner 17 on the rope 8 bywhich the runner may be forced between the spring wires 16 when thetrack is lifted, and disengaged from said wires when the track is whenthe runneris lifted, it will carry with it the slack end of the rope S.\Vhen the track 1 and track lifting frame 2 are lowered, by the meansprovided therefor and not shown, the button 24 will strike the upper endof the runner 17 and will force it from between the wires 16. The runnerbeing thus released will slide down the rope 8 with the slack endthereof until the runner strikes the button 23, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 5', the plates 12 and 13 maybe dispense'd with and the ends of the wires 16 secured to the pulleyblock '6 directly, the rods 14 and 15 being secured to the wires 16 forspacing purposes.

In the form shown in Fig. 6 the wires 16 are supported by the rods 14and 15, said rods having secured. to them the ends of a bent wire 26which may be secured in a hole provided in the forward pulley arbor 27on which the forward pulley 7 is mounted, as shown in Fig. 12.

In the form shown in Fig. 7 the wires 16 are shown straight between therods 14 and 15, one set of ends of the wires being adapted to be clampedto the pulley block, and an additional spacing rod 28 being securedintermediate said clamped ends and the rod 15.

The form of my invention shown in Fig. 8 is similar to the form shown inFig. 3 excepting that the wires 16 in the form shown in Fig. 8 arecontinuously curved intermediate the rods 14 and 15, while in thepreferred form, shown in F 3, the upper parts of the wires 16 arestraight and nearly horizontal, a spacing plate 29 being mounted on thehorizontal parts adjacent to the points 'where the curved parts of thewire join the straight parts.

Many modifications of my invention, Within the scope of the appendedclaims, may be made without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat- I ent, is

1. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track, of alifting rope secured thereto, a support for the rope above the track, arunner on the rope secured to the slack end thereof, dam ing means abovethe track for releasably engaging the runner, and means carried by therope which alternately contact with opposite ends of the runner andbring it into and out of engagement with said clamping means when thetrack is raised and lowered.

2. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track, of alifting rope secured thereto, a support for the rope above the track, aperipherally groor ed runner on the rope secured to the slackendthereof, clamping means above the track having two spring armsadapted to be sprung apart by the runner and enter the peripheral groovetherein for releasably holding the runner, and means carried by the ropewhich alternately contactwith opposite ends of the runner and bring itinto and out of engagement with said spring arms when the track israised and lowered.

3. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track, of alifting rope secured thereto, a support for the rope above the track, arunner on the rope secured to the slack end thereof and having aperipheral groove, two spring wires secured to said rope support atopposite sides of the rope and adapted to be sprung apart by the run nerand enter the peripheral groove therein for releasably holding therunner, and means carried by the rope which alternately contact withOpposite ends of the runner and bring it between and out of engagementwith said spring wires when the track is raised and lowered.

4. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track, of alifting rope secured thereto, a pulley block above the track having apulley over which the rope passes, a runner on the rope secured to theslack end of the rope and having a peripheral groove, two resilientmembers secured to the pulley block at opposite sides of the rope andadapted to be sprung apart by the runner and enter the peripheral groovetl'rerein for r'el'easably holding the runner, and two but tons securedto the rope at opposite ends of the runner for respectively bringing therunner into and out of engagement with said resilient men'ibe'r's "whenthe track is raised and lowered.

5. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track, of apulley block located above the track and having a pulley, a lifting ropesecured to the track and passing over said pulley, a runner on the ropeintermediate of the track and pulley and having a peripheral groove andhaving a swivel connection with the slack end of the lifting rope,resilient clamping members secured to the pulley block at oppositesidesof said rope and adapted to be forced apart by the runner and enter theperipheral groove therein for releasably holding the runner, and twodevices secured to the lifting rope at opposite ends of the runner forrespectively bringing the runner into and out of engagement with saidresilient members when the track is raised and lowered.

6. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track liftingrope having a slack end'provided with a swivel, of a ring shaped runnerslidable on the rope and secured to said swivel.

7. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track liftingrope, of a pulley block having a pulley supporting the rope, a ringshaped runner slidable on the rope and having a peripheral groove, twospring wires secured to the pulley block at opposite sides of the ropeand adapted to be forced apart by the runner and enter said peripheralgroove for releasably holding the run ner, and two fixed devices on therope at oposite ends of the runner for respectively orcing the runnerbetween and out of engagement with said wires when the rope is pulledlengthwise in opposite directions a suliicient distance.

8. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track liftingrope, of a pulley block having a pulley supporting the rope, a ringshaped runner slidable on the rope and having a depending arm and aperipheral groove, the rope having at its slack end a swivel connectedby a horizontal pivot with said depending arm of the runner, and tworesilient members secured to said pulley block at opposite sides of saidrope and adapted to be forced apart by the runner and enter saidperipheral groove for releasably holding the runner.

9. In a store service a. aratus, the combination with a track li tingrope having a slack end provided with a swivel, of a ring shaped runnerslidable on the rope and having a depending arm pivoted by a horizontalpivot to said swivel.

10. In a store service apparatus, the combination with a track, of apulley block above the track and having a pulley, a lifting rope securedto the track and passin over said pulley and having at its slack em aswivel, a ring shaped runner slidable on the rope intermediate of thetrack and pulley and having a peripheral groove and connected by ahorizontal pivot with the swivel on said rope, two resilient wiresdisposed parallel with each other at opposite sides of said rope, eachWire having its ends secured to said pulley block at opposite sides ofsaid rope, the wires being adapted to be forced apart by the runner andenter the peripheral groove therein for releasably holding the runner,and means carried by the rope at opposite ends of the runner forrespectively forcing the runner between and out of engagement with saidwires when the track is raised and lowered.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. NAGE.

lVitnesses:

E. B. House, B. E. IIAMILTON.

